TRANSITION Office of Community College Research and Leadership THE INTEGRAL ROLE OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN SUPPORTING PROGRAMS OF STUDY AND CAREER PATHWAYS

According to Sears (1982), career development is “the total constellation of economic, sociological, psychological, educational, physical, and chance factors that combine to shape one’s career. ” This definition was advanced by the Illi-nois Career Development Task Force that engaged in more than a year of deliberation. Career development is ground-ed in career theory, including Super’s (1957) life-span career theory. Applied to career development, the significance of Super’s (1957) theory is that it emphasizes career development as an ongoing process that continues throughout an individual’s life. Career development programs and services can assist to “improve individual career awareness, exploration, choice, preparation, and management ” (Williams, Bragg, & Makela, 2008, p. 7; see also Herr & Cramer, 1996). Successful, ongoing career development helps individuals of all ages to make a variety of transitions through-out their lifetimes: between different levels of education, from education to work, and between work and education. THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) notes that today’s employees must navigate a complex and changing world of work. Further, individuals face preparation gaps that educators and employers must fill through improved career development initiatives. Identifying and securing opportunities to earn a viable income is important but only part of the story. Finding employment and building a career based on interests is not an easy process (Lewis, Kosine, & Overman, 2008). ACTE states, “Without structured guidance activities, young people tend to drift throug